THE MINISTRY of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES) have been urged to reconsider fixing the marking scheme for license exams at a cumulative mark of 50 per cent for trained teachers or teacher certificate holders in all three papers they are required to write.

The Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana made the call in a communiqué issued after its annual delegates’ conference, saying “newly trained teachers or teacher certificate holders must pass with an average of 50 per cent for each of the three papers.”

But analysts believe the move is purely to protect the teachers from being adversely affected in the event that they score below 50 per cent in any of the three papers, thus raising concerns as to why teachers who are most often happy to set exams for students are themselves afraid to take the exams.

The Association has urged government to provide learning materials for the licensure examination, saying “we appeal to National Teaching Council (NTC) to reconsider the cost of registration for the licensure examination.”

All prospective teachers in Ghana seeking to be professionals were scheduled to take a professional examination set for 25th July, 2018.

The NTC of the Ministry of Education has made the announcement in May this year but has seen agitations from teachers who seemingly are afraid to do exams.

But the Teacher Trainees’ Association is appealing to NTC through the Ministry of Education to reconsider the mode of assessment apparently to give some ‘advantage’ to the new teachers as far as the exams are concerned.

It also urged “the licensure exams should be incorporated in the teacher education reform curriculum,” warning government to desist from any attempt to post newly trained teachers as national service personnel.

The Association, in the communiqué jointly signed by its president, Apam Jonathan and General Secretary, Agboni Nicholas Kelvin, further asked government to employ all relevant bodies to review the Colleges of Education Act 2012 to meet the current Educational Reform in the Colleges of Education.

Meanwhile, the Association has commended government for its commitment towards the posting of newly trained teachers and its assurance to continue the payment of teacher trainees’ allowances.

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